The Congress on Saturday decided to renominate Ambika Soni to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab, where two seats are falling vacant and one is set to stay with the party.

Others on the party’s RS list are former Union ministers P Chidambaram (Maharashtra), Kapil Sibal (UP) and Jairam Ramesh (Karnataka). The decision was taken by party president Sonia Gandhi.

Soni, also chairperson of the campaign committee for Punjab that is due for polls early next year, was expected to win the renomination being a Hindu, as in March the party sent two former state unit presidents, Partap Singh Bajwa and Shamsher Singh Dullo, Jat Sikh and Scheduled Caste-Sikh, respectively, to the Upper House.

Other than striking a balance of representation to all communities, the party has also tried to retain the only woman on its list. Soni, who enjoys proximity with Sonia Gandhi, has her current term ending on July 4.

Set to get the other seat, the Shiromani Akali Dal has renominated Balwinder Singh Bhunder, who has already filed his nomination papers. The elections are slated for June 11.